Australian Government Announces Budget Funding to Disrupt Illegal Text Message Scams

Australian Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland during Question Time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 27, 2023. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

A new register for text scams funded by the federal government should help stop fraudsters fleecing Australians via fake messages.

Almost half the nation has been deceived by or exposed to a dodgy text message in the past year, says Communications Minister Michelle Rowland. As a result, an estimated $3.1 billion (US$2.07 billion) was lost.